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Winemaker's Notes:

"Grand Reserve wines are crafted from 100% Jackson Estates Grown grapes which are hand-selected from our vineyard estates. These wines capture the regional expression of the vineyard blocks that we look to year after year. In the winery, artisan winemaking techniques prevail, and aging takes place in small French oak barrels. From California's breathtaking coastal winegrowing regions, our winemakers draw a rich palette of aromas and flavors to handcraft wines of exceptional depth and complexity. Grand Reserve wines offer rich regional expression and depth of varietal character. Kendall-Jackson literally turns the winemakers loose in the cellar, drawing off the top three percent of our Estate Grown barrel lots to make Grand Reserve wines. The Grand Reserve wines are the superlative expression of our Vintner's Reserve blending process, more elegantly focused and featuring fruit from just one or two of the top appellations." -Winery

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Jess Stonestreet Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, was a legend in the wine industry. Thanks to his dedication and skill, he popularized Chardonnay in the United States, with the best-selling Chardonnay in America for over 20 years. In 1983, just one year after he founded Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, his Chardonnay won the first double Platinum Award ever given by... Read more

Jess Stonestreet Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, was a legend in the wine industry. Thanks to his dedication and skill, he popularized Chardonnay in the United States, with the best-selling Chardonnay in America for over 20 years. In 1983, just one year after he founded Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, his Chardonnay won the first double Platinum Award ever given by the American Wine Competition. Jackson passed away on April 21, 2011, at the age of 81, leaving behind the highest-selling brand of “super-premium” wine in the United States.
In 1974, Jess Jackson and his wife, Jane Kendall, purchased and converted a pear and walnut orchard in Lakeport, California into a vineyard. In 1982, a downturn in the grape market discouraged Jackson from selling grapes, so he took the opportunity to create his own winery, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. This was a wise decision, since today, with 14,000 acres across California’s Sonoma County and numerous distinctions, Kendall-Jackson is one of the most successful wineries in America. Read less

'Rich tropical fruit intertwines with grapefruit, lemon and candied lime peel. Elegantly layered, this wine exhibits a lush texture and firm backbone with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon spice to round out the long finish.' - Randy Ullom, Winemaster

Kendall-Jackson's incredible Chardonnay from their prime vineyards in the Central Coast never fails to deliver. The 2012 Grand Reserve Chardonnay is a blend of equal parts Santa Barbara and Monterey fruit, 100% Chardonnay was aged 9 months in primarily French oak, and was put through 100% barrel and malolactic fermentation with lots of lees stirring. Robert Parker scored the 2012 91 points saying "The 2012 Chardonnay Grand Reserve (200,000 cases produced) is composed of Monterey and Santa Barbara fruit that spent nine months in largely French oak as well as smaller quantities of American wood. One-third is new, and this cuvee is put through full malolactic fermentation as opposed to the other Chardonnays where it is generally partially or completely blocked. Copious quantities of tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes, apricot marmalade and honeyed citrus are found in this clean white that finishes with good acidity and a distant minerality. It was the only Chardonnay in this tasting that revealed a touch of oak." Grab it while it's On Sale!

Lush tropical fruit intertwines with lemon, lime and floral notes. Elegantly layered, this wine exhibits a rich texture and firm backbone with a hint of vanilla and spice to round out the long finish. - Randy Ullom, Winemaster

The 2012 Chardonnay Grand Reserve (200,000 cases produced) is composed of Monterey and Santa Barbara fruit that spent nine months in largely French oak as well as smaller quantities of American wood. One-third is new, and this cuvee is put through full malolactic fermentation as opposed to the other Chardonnays where it is generally partially or completely blocked. Copious quantities of tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes, apricot marmalade and honeyed citrus are found in this clean white that finishes with good acidity and a distant minerality. It was the only Chardonnay in this tasting that revealed a touch of oak. Consume it over the next 2–3 years.

"Grand Reserve wines are crafted from 100% Jackson Estates Grown grapes which are hand-selected from our vineyard estates. These wines capture the regional expression of the vineyard blocks that we look to year after year. In the winery, artisan winemaking techniques prevail, and aging takes place in small French oak barrels. From California's breathtaking coastal winegrowing regions, our winemakers draw a rich palette of aromas and flavors to handcraft wines of exceptional depth and complexity. Grand Reserve wines offer rich regional expression and depth of varietal character. Kendall-Jackson literally turns the winemakers loose in the cellar, drawing off the top three percent of our Estate Grown barrel lots to make Grand Reserve wines. The Grand Reserve wines are the superlative expression of our Vintner's Reserve blending process, more elegantly focused and featuring fruit from just one or two of the top appellations." -Winery